Lathing-machine



No. 6|4,443. Patented Nov. 22, I898.

- D. J. CHABBONNEAU.

LATHING MACHINE.

(Apglication filed Nov. 22, 1897.)

2 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.) I

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Wit asses m: Nonms PEYEHS co.. FHQTO-LITNQ, WASN No. 614,443. PatentedNov. 22, I898;

Y D. J. CHABBONNEAU. LATHING MACHINE.

(Application filed Nov. 22, 1897.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

a I I NITED TATES ATENT Fries.

LATHlNG-MACHINEK SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.614,443, dated November 22, 1898.

Application filed N vember 22, 1897. Serial No. 659,471. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, DENIS J.-OHARBONNEAU, a citizen of the United States,residing at Williamstown, in the county of Grant and State of Kentucky,have inventeda new and useful Lathing-Machine, of which the following isa specification.

My invention .relates to improvements in machines for fastening laths atregular spaced intervals on the studdings of buildings; and

the primary object that I have in view is to provide a simple andeasily-operated structure by which the laths may be quickly and securelyfastened to the studding.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine with anappliance by which the machine may be easily connected to and quicklyremoved from the studding, said appliance operating to hold the machinesteadily in place while the nails are being forced through the laths andinto the studding.

Afurther object of the invention is to make the holding applianceadjustable to accommodate itself to studdings which may be spaced atdifferent intervals from each other.

With these ends in view the invention con sists in the combination, witha base provided with a series of lath ways or guides, of a series oftubular nail holders and guides fixed to the base, a reciprocatingframe, a series of driving-plungers attached to said frame to be movablewith the same and fitted in the tubular nail holders and guides to forcethe nails therefrom when the frame and plungers are moved in onedirection, means for imparting reciprocating motion to the frame, and aholding appliance.

The invention further consists inaholding appliance for attachingthelathing-machine to the outside faces of two adjacent studdin gs in whichI have embodied oppositely-working pairs of grab-hooks having theirinner ends slidably attached toa guiding cross-head and independentlevers arranged on opposite sides of the cross-head and operativelyconnected with said grab-hooks to move the same into and out ofengagement with the studdings.

The invention further consists in the combination, with the cross-headwhich serves as a guide for the grab-hooks, of an adjustingscrew for thereciprocating frame and having one end of said screw journaled in saidcrosshead, whereby the screw for moving the reciprocating frame and theplungers pulls'on the cross-head for the grab-hooks; and the inventionfurther consists in the novel combination and construction of parts,which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

To enable others to understand my invention, I have illustrated the samein the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andin which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my improvedlathing-machine in operative relation to the studdings. Fig. 2 is a planview thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the planeindicated by the dotted line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a similartransverse section on the plane indicated by the dotted line 4 4 of Fig.2, the plane of section being taken through a series of the tubularnailholders and the plungers corresponding thereto. Fig. 5 is a verticallongitudinal section on the plane indicated by the dotted line 5 5 ofFig. 2. Fig. 6 is a detail view, partly in perspective and section, ofone of the slidable boxes for one grab-hook.

Like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figuresof the drawings.

1 designates the base of the lathing-machine, which base is of a lengthcorresponding to the distance between four of the studdings and thelength of the laths which are to be applied to said studdings; but it isevident that the size of the base is not material so long as it is largeenough to carry a series of laths which are to be applied and fastenedat one operation to the studdings by a machine constructed in accordancewith my invention. This machine is constructed to be loaded or chargedwith the proper number of laths and with the nails for fastening thelaths in position, and after the machine has been thus loaded it onlyremains for the operator to properly adjust the machine to present thelaths to the studdings, fasten the machine in position, and then expelthe fastening nails from the machine through the laths and into thestuddings.

On that face of the base 1 which is to be presented to the studdings Iprovide a serieswhich are secured to the rear side of the base, near theends thereof, and which are spaced at intervals representing the widthof the laths, the thickness of the blocks or cleats 2 representing theintervals between the laths. This construction of the base providesmeans for receiving and retaining the laths in their properly-spacedpositions for application in a proper manner to the studdings.

Projecting from the front side of the base 1, near or at the endsthereof, are the guides 3, and within these guides is fittedareciproeating frame t, to the longitudinal bars 1 of which are fasteneda series of cross-bars 5, spaced at suitable intervals apart. Thesecross-bars are preferably fourin number, and they are spaced atdistances between the studdings, so that the cross-bars when the machineis properlyloaded, applied, and fastened will come directly opposite thestuddings to which the laths are to be nailed.

Each cross-bar 5 of the reciprocating frame carries a series of plungers6, which are rigidly fastened to the cross-bars in any suitable manner.I have shown four series of these driving or expelling plungers 6, oneseries being attached to each crossbar at suitable intervals one fromthe other, and each series consists, preferably, of seven plungers, thusmaking twenty-eight plungers in the machine; but it is evident that thenumber of plungers may be varied, either increased or diminished, as themanufacturer or mechanic may prefer.

The base 1 carries a series of tubular holders and guides 7, which aredesigned to contain the nails to be driven through the laths and intothe studdings and to serve as guides for the nails and thedriving-plungers. These tubular holders and guides 7 are fastened to thebase 1 to form a plurality or series of guides corresponding to theplungers, and each guide is fastened to the base to be in a position toreceive one of the plungers on the cross-bar of the reciprocating frame.I prefer to provide each guide and holder 7 with afianged foot 8 at therear end, and said tubular guide or holder is passed through an opening9 in the base to have its flanged foot 8 fitted in a recess or groove 10in the rear face of the base, so as to be flush therewith. The flangedfoot of the tubular guide or holder is fastened in place by nails,screws, or other suitable fastenings, which also are flush with thebase; but the detailed construction of the guides and holders by whichthey are fastened to the base is immaterial.

011 the front side of the base, preferably at the middle thereof, ismounted a cross-head 11, and in the center of this cross-head is formeda central journal or bearing 12 for one end of an adjusting screw-shaft13. The in- M, ner end of the screw-shaft has a flange or coled bearingor nut 14, with which engages the screw-shaft 13, so as to operativelyconnect the screw-shaft with the reciprocating frame, and as this frameis guided by the guides 3 to be limited to sliding movement or play therotation of the screw-shaft in one direction or the other imparts thedesired movement or play to the reciprocating frame.

The outer end of the screw-shaft carries a hand-wheel 15, to which isconnected a handcrank 10, by which the operator is able to rotate thewheel and the screw-shaft, and this crank and wheel are situated outsideof the re ciprocatin g frame, so as to be easily accessible.

As' will be understood, the screw-shaft is supported in the bearing ofthe cross-head and in the nut carried by the reciprocating frame, and asthis shaft is held from endwise movement by its flanged connection withthe cross-head the screw-shaft is adapted to ac tuate the reciprocatingframe, limited to slid ing movement by the guides 3 on the base 1.

I will now proceed to describe the appliance for holding the machinedetachably attached to the studdings to which the laths are to befastened, and in passing I desire to remark that the grab-hooks of theholding appliance are arranged to engage with the outer sides of twoadjacent studdings, instead of engaging with the opposing sides of thestuddings, and that the grab-hooks are connected with the cross-head towhich the inner end of the screw-shaft is connected, so that the pull ofthe screw-shaft is exerted on the cross'head, whereby the action of theplungers on the nails to be driven into the studdings exerts a strain onthe grab-hooks to force them tightly into engagement with the studdings.

The holding appliance consists of an upper pair of hooks 17 18, a lowerpair of hooks 19 20, independent levers 21 22, and operative connectionsbetween said levers and the said hooks. The hooks are of the angularform shown to enable them to be passed through the base 1, and the innerends of said hooks are slotted, as at 23. The slotted ends of the upperhooks 17 18 are overlapped and connected to the upper end of the crosshead by means of a bolt 24. In a similar manner the slotted ends of thelower hooks 19 20 are arranged to lap each other and the lower end ofthe cross-head, and said hooks 19 20 have their slotted lapped endsattached to the lower end of the cross-head by a bolt 25. The slottedends of the two pairs of hooks are confined by their bolts or attachingdevices 24 25 on the respective ends of the cross-head, so that thehooks of the respective pairs may adjust toward and from each other inthe operation of adjusting the hooks into and out of engagement with thestuddings.

The grab-hooks are carried independently of each other by slidable boxes26, and one box is provided for each grab-hook. Each box is slotted, asat 32, to receive its grabhook, which is pivoted to the boX by aVertical bolt or pin 32. one side with guide-ribs 34, fitted in recessesin the base, adjacent to the slot 35 in said base which receives thebox, and said box is further provided with a pivoted guide-piece 36,adapted to bear against the front side of the base, said guide-ribs, theguide-piece, and the draw-bar 26 serving to hold the box slidably inposition in the base.

The slidable boxes for the grab-hooks are connected in pairs on opposite.sides of the cross-head by means of the draw-bars 26 the ends of eachdraw-bar being pivoted to the pair of sli'dable boxes, and to eachdraw-bar 26 is pivoted a link 37. One link 37 is pivoted to anadjusting-lever 21, while the other link 37 is pivoted to an independentadjusting-lever 22. It will thus be seen that one draw-bar 26 connectsthe slidable boxes which carry the grab-hooks 1'7 19, while the otherdraw-bar 26 connects the boxes which carrythe other pair of grab-hooks18 20. The grab-hooks have their pointed or barbed ends adapted toengage with the studdings, and they may be adjusted by the levers 21 22'to adapt them to fit to studdings of different thicknesses. The levers21 22 are fulcrumed on the base 1, and they are adapted to engage attheir free ends with suitable holding devices 28, mounted on the base 1.

This being the construction of my machine the operation may be describedas follows: The machine is first loaded by fitting the laths in the waysformed between the cleats or blocks 2 and by inserting the nails, headend foremost, into the tubular holders and guides. The machine is nowapplied against the studdings, and the grab-hooks hold the machine, thelaths, and nails steadily in place on the studdings, and the operatornow turns the crank to rotate the screw-shaft and force the frame andplungers inward toward the base. The plungers slide through the tubularholders and guides and they force the nails out of the holders throughthe laths and into the studdin gs. The whole series of laths are thusfastened to the studdings at one operation, after which the machine isdetached from the studdings for the purpose of reloading it with lathsand nails.

One operator supplied with two or more of these machines and with theassistance of a helper or helpers, who may be boys or-apprentices, isable to perform much more labor in a given time than under the methodsheretofore commonly pursued of fastening the laths by hand, because themachine or machines may be reloaded while another machine is in service.i

In the embodiment of the machine illustrated by the drawings I haveshown the base provided with the hooks 30 at the lower edge thereof.These hooks are spaced at suitable intervals along the lower edge of thebase in a manner to engage with the top lath ofthe series of laths onthe studdings.

Having thus fully described myinvention,

The box is provided on.

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a lathing-machine, the combination of a base equipped withlathways and with nailholders, a series of simultaneously-operatedplungers operatively fitted to said nail-holders, and a holding orfastening appliance mounted on said base, as and for the purposesdescribed.

2. In a lathing-machine, the combination with a base having lathways, ofa series of tubular nail holders and guides mounted on said base in linewith the lathways thereon, a reciprocating frame, a series of plungersfitted in said holders and guides, and attached to said frame to bemovable therewith, and means for reciprocating the frame, as and for thepurposes described.

3. In a lathing-machine, the combination with a base having guidewaysand a plurality of nail-holders, of a reciprocating frame having aseries of plungers fitted in said nailholders, and a screw-shaftoperatively connected with said frame for imparting reciprocating motionthereto, as and for the purposes described.

4. In a lathing-machine, the combination with a base, and a nail-drivingmechanism mounted thereon, of fastening-hooks attached to said base andarranged in pairs to engage with adjacent studdings, and ad jlisting-levers connected with said hooks, as and for the pur= posesdescribed.

5. In a lathing-machine, the combination with a base, and a nail-drivingmechanism thereon, of grab-hooks mounted on the base and having theirinner ends provided with slots, a cross-head, devices for slidably attaching the slotted ends of the grab-hooks to said cross-head, andlevers operativelyconnected with said grab-hooks, as and for thepurposes described.

6. In a lathing-machine, the combination with a base, and a frame havingnail-driving plungers, of a cross-head, grab-hooks loosely connectedwith said cross-head, and a screwshaft operatively connected with saidframe and having one end supported-in the crosshead, as and for thepurposes described. 7

'7. In a lathing-machine, the combination with a base, of the nailholders and guides thereon, a reciprocating frame guided on said baseand having a nut and a series ofplungers, a cross-head, grab-hookshaving their slotted ends loosely connected with the extremities of saidcross-head, levers for adjusting said grab-hooks, and a screw-shaftoperatively' connected with the cross-head and with the nut of thereciprocating frame, substantially as described, for the purposes setforth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

DENIS J CHARBONNEAU.

IVitnesse's:

E. B. CLARK, J. W. WEBB.

